Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City players to stay calm in title pursuit

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has urged the team to stay calm with the Premier League title race yet to be decided. The Citizens leapfrogged Liverpool to the top of the table after a derby triumph over Manchester United on the road but Guardiola has refused to acknowledge that the Citizens are favourites for the title.

Speaking after the game, he said: “I understand the pressure we have and obviously here at Old Trafford with Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard running behind. I told them we needed to play to win, it doesn’t matter if we concede. Now we go to Burnley and we know how tough it will be. It’s important to be calm. We are still not champions with three games left – it’s incredible with the points we have and Liverpool have. I told the players don’t read tomorrow, don’t watch the television, just rest and sleep a lot and go in there against Burnley.”

With the triumph, the Citizens have moved one point ahead of Liverpool at the summit and they can retain the title, provided they win the remaining three games of the season. However, the same remains far easier than said, considering they are scheduled to face Burnley next where they can expect an ultra-defensive approach from the opposition.

Nonetheless, Liverpool likewise have to contend with a testing trip to Newcastle United while they seem to hold a slender disadvantage with a double-legged Champions League semi-final tie against Barcelona sandwiched between the run of games. The Reds have gone through a tremendous season in the Premier League but their tendency to draw matches at crucial periods seem to have cost them. Should City continue on their winning ways, the Reds would surely have to wait for another campaign to end their quest for a maiden Premier League crown.